Friday, December 18, 2009

That's right folks. After a long day at work and an exhausting evening mudding my ceiling, I am fully prepared to review and giveaway another FREE book!

Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group, sent to me one complimentary book to review and one to giveaway!

Because my blog is a "health and wellness blog for body, mind, and soul," it is my goal to fairly and unbiasedly review products, books, movies, restaurants, etc., that will enhance my readers' lives. 40 Loaves: Breaking Bread with Our Father Each Day by C.D. Baker is a book that can do just that -- if you let it.

What do I mean? If you're a Christian, or have been around many, it is well known that a lot of us tend to stick to a certain type of legalism. We, (yes including myself) like to follow rules. We obediently go through the motions of church, and pretend to have our lives together. When, in reality, we don't.

As followers of Christ, it's difficult to ask questions; to ask the really hard ones. It makes us feel "bad." More sinful than we already are (as if we could be any more sinful).

So why would a Christian have to "let" this book enhance their life? Well, I hate to be cynical, but if a believer who has always obediently done what is told, without question, ever wants to grown in his or her faith, they're going to have to pull their annal retentive plug!

We need to start asking questions! In this daily-devotional type book Baker assists the reader in doing just that. Each day, the reader has the chance to "break bread" and start a conversation between themselves and with God.

Each daily reading poses a question such as, "Why do I get so angry with God?" Baker then uses personal anecdotes, stories from the Bible and scripture to help answer the question. Each reading is ended with "Food for Thought" and "A Prayer." To help the reader dig deeper into their emotions and to talk to God about how they feel.

I've truly enjoyed reading through this book. 40 Loaves: Breaking Bread with Our Father Each Day is a book that will remain in my personal collection.

From the back cover:

"Why don’t I have more faith?

Why am I so bored with Jesus?

Why don’t I feel connected at church?

These are the types of questions the religious establishment often makes it uncomfortable, if not impossible, to ask. And by asking them, C. David Baker, author of 40 Loaves: Breaking Bread with Our Father Each Day hopes to start a conversation in people’s hearts, then with others, and ultimately with God. Many circles of Christianity have led us to believe that certainty and confidence are the proof of true spirituality; questions are discouraged.

But Jesus offered his followers an ongoing conversation—a relationship built around a free, open-ended discussion. Questions were encouraged. They were often impertinent, sometimes alarming, and the religious establishment was distinctly uncomfortable with them … just as it is today.

“40 Loaves is something of a collection of the kinds of questions I felt finally free to ask of myself and of my relationship with Christ,” says Baker. “It’s my belief that these questions are shared by many others who long for the freedom to simply ask them out loud. I hope this book becomes a platform that frees others to search their hearts more deeply and be fed with the Bread of life.”

Each “loaf” here is a big question that stimulates discussion, investigation, and contemplation; it will take hours—or days—to digest. Conversational, inviting, disarming, and real, 40 Loaves nourishes self-examination and offers validation for those who feel discouraged, guilty, or even shamed when the realities of their lives don’t match up with the ideals of the Christian establishment."

How to win your free copy:

All you have to do is comment on this post telling me your favorite way to spend your personal quiet times with God. Please leave at least a screen name! It is important to check my blog by Tuesday evening to see if you've won, then you can email me your contact information.

For an additional entry in the hat, follow me! Please leave an additional comment letting me know that you are following me.

Please enter by Monday, December 21 at midnight! Winners will be announced Tuesday evening.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

This past week has been a combination of spending all free hours at my new house trying to get things move-in ready and me battling a really bad cold/flu.

I have to say I haven't been eating very well or exercising. :( I feel really icky about that. Though, I have been following through with my one goal: wake up early. This is my last week of just focusing on that goal (see my post on Nov. 25

I was originally going to make my goal 5:30 a.m. , but I realized there is really no point to it. I am at 5:50 right now. That will give me time for at least a half hour of exercise and time to eat breakfast, have a short quiet time with God and then an hour to get ready. My reward for following through with this goal is a subscription to Real Simple Magazine. I am pretty proud of myself. At the end of this week, I'll have been following through with waking up early for four weeks!

My next goal is to spend quiet time with God in the mornings. I am trying to build up to 10 minutes. I'll start with five minutes and then move up to ten the next week. After that goal is completed I'll move on to either cleaning daily or exercising daily. I'm leaning towards exercise. It is going to be my most difficult goal.

The reason I am breaking down the goals like this and only focusing on one at a time is because I really want to live a healthy lifestyle. I want all of those things I listed (see Nov. 25) to be things that I do daily. I want them to be habits for the rest of my life. Nothing has worked so far, so I figured maybe taking it slow is the best approach.

Well, my posting will probably be off and on for the next few weeks due to the holidays and my house taking up a lot of work. I have a book review/giveaway coming up here really soon. I'll post it on Friday night.

Thank you to all for posting. Your comments really touched me. Thank you for all of your encouragement.

Another book giveaway???

Bookmark me, follow me, and keep coming back! I will be giving away another really awesome book next week.

"40 Loaves: Breaking Bread with Our Father Each Day" by C.D. Baker.

This daily devotional-type book presents answers to questions that some Christians have difficulty with or might be embarrassed about. The author presents very challenging concepts.

This book will definitely help you grown in your Christian faith.

Next week I'll have a full review and give you a chance to win this exciting book.

Picture provided by the Random House website.

That's all I got for tonight folks. Life has been crazy what with the house buying, packing, being sick, etc. We should be getting the keys tomorrow or Wednesday. I may or may not be posting tomorrow. If we get the keys tomorrow, I'll be taking a few loads of stuff to the house. If not, then maybe I'll have a special "house" blog. :)

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Christmas is a time for giving and receiving -- a time for loving and sharing. We can spend lots of money buying expensive jewelry or the latest technological gizmos. But Christmas is about so much more. It's about passing on the gift of God's love. God sent his only Son into the world, to save the world and not to condemn the world. That's what we're celebrating on Christmas.

I think the best presents are kind gestures, a warm smile from a passerby on the street, or a handmade gift from a loved one. God's love is shown in the smallest of packages. This holiday season I would like to share with you the message of God's love.

"Treasured," "God Gave Us Love" and "God Gave Us Christmas"

Treasured written by Leigh McLeroy.

From the back of the book:"Cigar boxes. Refrigerator doors. Scrapbooks and sock drawers and top shelves. These are the places we store our treasures–the keepsakes that tell the story of whom and what we’ve loved, how we’ve lived, and what matters most to us.

God is a collector, too, whose treasures are tucked securely into the pages of his book: a golden bell here, an olive leaf there, a scarlet thread, a blood-stained cloth, a few grains of barley. Each of these saved artifacts reveals a facet of his heart and tells the story of a Father whose most precious possession is…us.
In Treasured, Leigh McLeroy considers tangible reminders of God’s active presence and guides us in discovering evidence in our own lives of his attentive love."

I've really enjoyed reading through Treasured Each chapter is based off of a treasure in the Bible, such as a Fig Leaf or a Fresh Olive Sprig. The treasure, presented as a promise from God, is then examined through the story and the people surrounding it. Finally McLeroy provides a parallel and captivating anecdote from her personal life.

McLeroy is witty, likable and relatable. I could easily put myself in her shoes. This is the first devotional type book that I've enjoyed in a really long time. (And I am definitely not getting paid to say that!)

God Gave Us Love by Lisa Tawn Bergren and art by Laura J. Bryant

From the back:" As Little Cub and Grampa Bear’s fishing adventure is interrupted by mischievous otters, the young polar bear begins to question why we must love others… even the seemingly unlovable.

In answering her questions, Grampa Bear gives tender explanations that teach Little Cub about the different kinds of love that is shared between families, friends, and mamas and papas. Grampa explains that all these kinds of love come from God and that it is important to love others because…
“Any time we show love, Little Cub, we’re sharing a bit of his love.”

This sweet tale will warm the hearts of young children as they learn about all the different sorts of love, while the gentle explanations of each provide a valuable opportunity to encourage children to share with others a “God-sized love.”""

God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren and art by Laura J. Bryant

From the back: As Little Cub and her family prepare to celebrate the most special day of the year, the curious young polar bear begins to wonder… “Who invented Christmas?”

Mama’s answer only leads to more questions like “Is God more important than Santa?” So she and Little Cub head off on a polar expedition to find God and to see how he gave them Christmas. Along the way, they find signs that God is at work all around them. Through Mama’s gentle guidance, Little Cub learns about the very first Christmas and discovers that… Jesus is the best present of all.

This enchanting tale provides the perfect opportunity to help young children celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and to discover how very much God loves them."

Oh my goodness. Talk about the cutest books ever!

The special child in your life will love and cherish these books. Both books are beautifully illustrated and provide a wonderful glimpse of God that children can grasp.

God Gave Us Love is a beautiful story about God's love being shown in many different forms. Kids will be able to relate to this book as "Little Clubs" asks questions like why sometimes she loves her little brothers but other times she doesn't.

I have to admit though that God Gave Us Christmas was my favorite of the two. The story line of "Mama" taking a journey with "Little Club" to go find God is heart-warming. I especially enjoyed the drawing of the Northern Lights. What an amazing picture of God and His awesome power!

Both of these books will open up conversations with your little ones about God and Jesus this holiday season.

I want to give these three books to one of my readers!

So what do you have to do to get this books? Just simply reply to this post with your name and email address and tell me who you'd like to give these books to this holiday season or the best gift in a small package you've received.

I'll draw a winner out of a hat and post the results by Monday night! (Please note that I unfortunately can not ship outside of the US at this time)

P.S. This will be my last blog of the week as my husband and I are done with our house paperwork and will be signing either tomorrow or Monday! I have a lot of packing and cleaning to do. :) Many blessings all!

All three of these books were provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

My first time home buying stress is at an all time high right now. :( We just had to pay an extension fee because our closing date is on Friday. I am not sure we're going to make it.

We were told for the last three weeks, just one more piece of paperwork. So we finally get it in (after sending for it three weeks ago) and then this morning they tell us we just need one more piece of paperwork. GRRRRRR.

I was really hoping to close and to have some Christmas decorations up soon, but it doesn't look like there will be decorations this year. :( I am feeling really hopeless about the whole thing.

Anyway, I was hoping to have a REVIEW/GIVEAWAY! up tonight, but I spent the last hour and a half gathering paperwork and faxing it. So, my hope is by tomorrow.

Tell all your friends!!!!!! To check out my blog tomorrow for the giveaway, it is going to be a gift from me to you. :D

Oh yeah, Thanksgiving was good. I only ate one plateful. So that is good. I haven't really been eating that healthily the last few days though. My stress level is high and I am on week for of my cycle, which means massive cravings!